Woman killed in south suburban crash

A two-car collision near south suburban Crete killed a passenger and sent both drivers to the hospital, authorities said.

Joyce Di Rutigliano, 80, of the 20700 block of Hunt Club Drive in Frankfort, was declared dead at 5:07 p.m. at St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights, following the crash at Exchange and Burville roads near Crete, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Crete Township Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Panega said paramedics transported three persons - one of them fatally injured - from the crash scene to area hospitals.

Crete resident Rachel Doyle said she was westbound on Exchange Street roughly one mile east of Illinois Route 394 when the westbound GMC Envoy in front of her lost control on slick pavement at a curve around 3:10 p.m.

Doyle said the Envoy spun out near Stoney Island Avenue into the eastbound lane, where it was "T-boned" on the passenger side by an eastbound Toyota 4Runner sports utility vehicle. The impact sent the Envoy back across the westbound lane into a guardrail, Doyle said.

"Stuff flew out of the car," she said. "It was bad."

Doyle said Will County Sheriff's Police secured the area shortly after the crash. Sheriff's Police didn't immediately return calls.

Exchange, a two-lane Will County road, runs from University Park through Illinois Route 394 to the Indiana state line.

Doyle said the Envoy appeared to be traveling at or under the 50 mph speed limit prior to the crash. The volume of traffic at the time "wasn't super super busy," she said.

Doyle said her car went into a skid at the same location because of the rain-slick road, but was able to regain control thanks to her anti-lock brakes.